


Punk Rock Lotte FTW

by genderless_scientist



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: F/F, Sulotte, but the main focus is my girl lotte, slight dianakko
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-25
Updated: 2017-07-25
Packaged: 2018-12-06 16:09:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11604132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genderless_scientist/pseuds/genderless_scientist
Summary: Lotte feels invisible so she gets a makeover from a certain brown haired witch, fluff ensues. It's about time a mushroom loving gal gets with her bookish ginger pal.This was pretty much inspired by Trigger's concept thing that Lotte could morph with faeries and become super powerful?  But I mainly just wanted to see a punk rock Lotte, because who the hell wouldn't???





	Punk Rock Lotte FTW

**Author's Note:**

> i don't own these characters

"Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Trust me, this is a fantastic idea!"

Lotte cringed.  She loved her dear friend, but Akko's version of a 'fantastic' idea always ended in a disaster. Building a fort of books in the library?  They had to dust every bookcase.  Prank calling Luna Nova? Laundry duty for three nights in a row. Ordering a pizza? A weeks long expulsion.  And worst of all, sneaking into the kitchen for a snack? A detention that almost caused her to miss the premier of the 365th _Night Fall_.  Lotte still felt residual shudders over what her life might be like had she missed her only opportunity to meet Annabel Crème.  It would have been a dreary and dull life that's for sure, but she did meet her, and it was all thanks to Akko.  Lotte took a deep breath, trying to ration some statistics in her head.  Probably 41% of Akko's ideas ended in a disaster, that leaves 37% ending in a disaster that Akko later resolves and 22% of her ideas actually working successfully.  The odds weren't in her favor, but she really really hoped this idea would fall into that twenty two percentile.  

Their room was a mess.  Empty bottles of gel and various makeup brushes and kits were scattered across Lotte's desk. A coppery eye shadow had spilled, dusting the wooden surface with a fine sparkly powder.

Once again, Akko had talked Lotte into doing something against her better judgment.  It all started late at night after the whole "saving the world" thing.  The girls flew back to Luna Nova as heroes.  The other students cheered and the professors clapped, some with tears in their eyes.  A grand dinner was thrown, courtesy of Fafnir, and all the students talked and laughed in the dining hall for hours, the excitement of what had transpired lasting until the wee hours of the morning. It wasn't often an ancient magic was released in a splendor of flashing lights and vibrant colors, splashing rainbows across the sky.  Lotte smiled as she remembered the dazzling sight. _And speaking of rainbows_ , she thought. Diana and Akko had been sitting rather close throughout the night, laughing together and recounting the story countless times as different girls approached them, professors too. Even Finnelan begrudgingly shook Akko's hand, expressing her gratitude and congratulating her.  The only people who weren't there were professors Croix and Ursula. _Er Chariot I mean_ , Lotte thought.  The two professors had left the celebration pretty early in the night, but it made sense to Lotte.  They had a lot of catching up to do, and ya know, rainbows. Gradually, the other students drifted towards their dorms, tired but content from the excitement and celebration. It was close to 3 in the morning when professor Holbrook finally managed to usher the last of the bleary-eyed girls out of the dining hall.   The red team staggered down the dark, fire lit hallways, the promising image of soft beds and warm blankets on Lotte’s mind.  Her hopes of falling immediately into bed were shattered when Akko announced herself to jumpy to sleep, asking her roommates to stay up and talk.  

"It's been so long since we've all been together without having to worry about anything.  It can be like a slumber party! And it's already almost morning anyways, we can just stay up all night!” Her outburst was punctuated with a rather large yawn.

Sucy groaned at that and Lotte sighed, exhausted beyond belief, but she nodded her head and propped herself up on her pillow.  With their sleep addled brains, they shared stories about their childhood and opened up about fears and things that troubled them.  It was mostly Akko and Lotte who talked, Sucy seemed content to just listen.  Sometime during their confessions, Lotte recounted how hurt she was when Hannah and Barbara called her invisible.  The confession made a sleepy Akko shoot to her feet, swaying slightly as she slurred a promise to not rest until she found a way to get back at them for hurting her friend.  Of course, not too soon after that, Akko fell fast asleep, a determined look on her face.  

Sucy and Lotte exchanged amused looks, rubbing at their tired eyes.  Sucy stood up, stretching her back and walking to Akko's bed, tucking Akko's limp body into her covers and whispering a goodnight to Lotte before crawling into her own bed. After that, Lotte had no problem falling asleep, a smile playing on her lips.

"Hold still for a second and close your eyes, I gotta fix your eyeliner."  Lotte closed her eyes, the memory fading away as the pencil traced once more along her eye lid.   Akko's grand plan was a makeover.  She had ambushed Lotte on the lawn, grabbing Lotte's hand and jumping up and down, proclaiming a makeover was needed.  Something about looking badass and then confronting Hannah and Barbara with a flourish of showy magic and singing her faery song to attract  _all_  the faeries, then using the faeries’ power to intimidate them.  It seemed pretty extra and unrealistic, but then again this was Akko.  

"Perfect," Akko said with a large grin, stepping back to admire her handiwork.  Lotte shifted uncomfortably under Akko's scrutinizing gaze.  She wasn't planning on actually singing the faery song but she didn't _need_ to tell Akko that small detail. Lotte figured as long as she consented to the makeover and confronting Hannah and Barbara, Akko would be content knowing she helped Lotte.  Really Lotte didn't need to confront Hannah and Barbara, she wasn't a very confrontational person, but she loved Akko and she knew the rambunctious witch had the best intentions in mind with this plan.  That didn’t stop her from feeling all sorts of jitters, and when their door swung open, Lotte jumped in her seat.  Sucy swept through, as understatedly elegant as always, an old musty book tucked under one arm.  She couldn't see the cover, but she guessed it was a book on poisonous mushrooms.  Or venomous snakes.  Her roommate had taken a newfound interest in the venomous reptiles ever since Akko admitted her recent fear of snakes.  Sucy hovered in the doorway, her eyes flickering as she took in the scene in front of her.  

"If Akko was sporting a punk rock look I frankily wouldn't care enough to ask, but since it's Lotte I want to know what's going."

Lotte giggled nervously as Sucy ignored Akko's cries of distress.  For some reason, Sucy's lingering gaze was giving her all sorts of nerves.  Maybe it was just embarrassment because she probably looked ridiculous with all this makeup.  Or maybe it  _could_  be because of, well, rainbows.  Sucy was exceptionally pretty and super caring in her own way, but Lotte pushed that thought down with a gulp.  "Well, this was Akko's idea for how I could get back at Hannah and Barbara."

Akko nodded her head, excitedly explaining her scheme.  Lotte's fingers fiddled with the ends of her skirt as Sucy continued to stare at her, seeming to ignore Akko's rambling.  Despite the layers of makeup on her face, Lotte felt oddly naked as Sucy's maroon eyes traced the lines of her face with an uncharacteristic amount of interest, like Lotte was a rare mushroom.  She could hear the blood rushing in her ears and feel the rapid pounding of her heart.  She had a brief thought that this must be what Arthur feels like when he looks at Edgar.  Sure he was cute, but she definitely didn't feel this way when she looked at Frank. One glance at Sucy would have Lotte saying ‘Frank who?’

"Out of all the plans you could have come up with, this is what you chose? If you want them to notice Lotte, we should release a box of vipers in their room.  I can find some black mambas, I actually need to get my hands on their venom."

Lotte shook her head, partially because Diana could easily deal with a couple snakes, and partially because she was scared what would happen if Sucy acquired black mamba venom.  Besides her, Akko gasped, flinging her arms into the air.  "Diana would just use a spell to transform all the snakes into something else! Like horses! Diana really likes horses."  Akko smiled, a dazed look in her eye.  Lotte's heart swelled at the sight.  Her friend had it bad, and it was honestly the cutest crush ever.  Besides, focusing on other people's crushes was a lot better than focusing on her own.

Lotte sighed, slumping down in the uncomfortable chair.  Darn feelings were so overrated and scary.  Akko frowned at Lotte when she sighed, concerned etched on her face.

"What's the matter?  Do you like the snake idea better? Because I don't like snakes but if you really wanna do that instead I can help with that."

Lotte smiled, touched at how caring and considerate Akko was.  "I'm okay with your original plan Akko.  No offense Sucy, but the snake idea could get us into a lot of trouble."  Sucy simply shrugged at that.  "I just feel like I look kinda silly."

To her surprise, it was Sucy who responded.  

"You don't look silly. It might actually be worth it to see Hannah and Barbara's faces." Sucy set her book on her bed and stepped forward to stand between Lotte's legs, her pale hands tugging on the tie around Lotte's neck.  "Just let me fix your shirt."

It was moments like these Lotte curse her fair skin, not that pretty girls often unbuttoned her shirt.  "What are you doing?" Lotte sputtered, her face growing hotter and hotter.  Sucy's nimble fingers undid the tie, leaving the two strips of fabric to hang around Lotte's neck.  Her fingers moved to Lotte's shirt, unknowingly just inches away from Lotte's pounding heart. Sucy unbuttoned the top couple buttons and fluffed her collar.  Lotte tensed when a cold knuckle brushed against her neck, only to have the tingling sensation vanish all too soon when Sucy stepped back to admire her handiwork.  

"That's better."

Akko nodded her head in agreement, oblivious to Lotte’s gay panic. Akko surged forward grabbing Lotte's hands and pulling the flustered witch towards their mirror.  Lotte stumbled slightly, her head spinning as she tried to steady herself on wobbly legs. 

"You look awesome!”

Lotte gasped.  Her hair was swept up into a wild ginger flame. The sharp, wild hairstyle was immensely different from her normally soft and fluffy locks.  Her eyes were framed with a thick line of black and dark wings even the winged goddess Diana would be impressed with.  Her shirt hung open slightly, just enough to give her casual rebellious look, a look she would expect to see on Amanda.

The effect of the makeover was a bit unsettling.  The edgy look made her feel somewhat alien in her own body, like the reflection wasn't actually her.  The girl staring back at her was a completely different person.  In a way, the Lotte in the mirror seemed more confident.  Maybe it was the way her reflection's shoulders were pulled back, or maybe it was because of the mask painted on her face.  Lotte squinted.  Or maybe it was just because everything was kinda blurry without her glasses on.

"It's definitely a lot different."

Sucy shrugged, hovering by Lotte's shoulder as she peered into the mirror as well.  "You look hot."

Lotte felt all her blood rush to her face again, making her a bit weak in the knees. It could have been a trick of the light, but she was sure Sucy's face was paler than usual.    

~~~

Walking down the hallway was unnerving and terrible.  She had already tried to turn back five times, but each time Sucy and Akko had managed to convince her to keep going.  

"Guys I really can't do this, people are staring."

"Sure you can!" Akko said. "Besides, Hannah and Barbara should be in the library, and that's not too much further."

"If people are staring at you, it's just more proof that you aren't actually invisible."

Sucy's comment made Lotte pause.  She was right after all.  Girls would double take as they walked by, gaping at Lotte and whispering back and forth to their friends.  Some girls even shot her a thumbs up, whistling and saying they loved the hair.  Despite how silly she felt, Lotte kinda liked the attention.  Even if it would only be this once, she liked having girls notice her when she walked down the hall.  Each passing glance filled her with more confidence, like a balloon slowly filling with air.  Except she wasn't a balloon and instead of air it was sweet, sweet validation.   _I’m not invisible_. She straighten her shoulders as she walked, her chin raising as she grinned at a girl passing by.  Lotte unbuttoned the cuffs of her sleeves, folding the long material before pushing the sleeves above her elbows.

As they approached the library, Akko and Sucy slowed down, their eyes wide as Lotte continued past them.  Sucy's expression was a bit difficult to read.  She seemed as reserved as always, but there was something different in the way her eyes tracked every one of Lotte's movements.  Something about it made Lotte swing her hips just a little bit more. 

The large heavy doors were shut, but Lotte held out her arms, pushing both doors open with ease and striding into the large room.  She took a brief moment to squint, looking for the inseparable duo.  Hannah and Barbara were easy to spot.  They were sitting at a table near the middle of the library, their books sitting open and papers splayed out on the table as they chatted.  Diana sat a chair down, her head buried in a large book.  

Lotte let out a breath, pushing down her last bit of nerves before slinking up to the three girls.  A smirk pulled at her lips as she stopped in front of their table, her hands settling on her hips.  

"Am I invisible now?"

A hush fell over the library as a number of heads swiveled in Lotte’s direction, but she paid them no heed. Hannah and Barbara gasped, shooting to their feet as their mouths hung open and their eyes bulged.  Diana simply raised her eyebrows, tilting her head to peer over Lotte's shoulders at the library doors.  Hannah and Barbara continued to stare, their hands grappling at each other and their mouths opening and closing like Professor Pisces. 

"Oh my god!"  Hannah said finally, breaking the silence.

"Holy fuck!" Barbara exclaimed as they continued to cling to each other, "Lotte your hair!"

"Language, Barbara."  Diana said, smoothly closing her book and setting it down.

"Oh come on Diana!" Akko said as she and Sucy walked up behind Lotte.  "You said 'fuck' when we fell asleep studying that one that time."  Four heads turned to look at Diana and the witch cleared her throat, refusing to meet anybody's eyes.  

"I will admit it was a slip on my part.  But only because I woke up with an unfamiliar weight on my chest and the realization that I had fallen asleep without completing my studies.  And that, Akko, was your fault."

"You wanted to cuddle just as much as I did!"

"This is like a soap opera," Hannah muttered to Barbara, despite her attempts to keep her voice low, the comment was heard by all five girls.  Lotte chuckled as Diana flushed with embarrassment and Akko pouted.  

"Not to interrupt this nauseating conversation, but you nitwits are missing the point. Barbara cussed because of Lotte.  She's standing right here and she's not invisible," Sucy said darkly, her jaw clenching as she glared at the girls in front of her.  Irritation flowed from Sucy in waves and even Diana recoiled.  

Although she was still buzzing with confidence and energy, the rush of adrenaline was wearing off, leaving Lotte feeling oddly content. She knew she wasn't the most confident girl.  She wasn't as outgoing as Akko, as rebellious as Amanda, or as put together as Diana.  Lotte knew she was a bookish girl, timid and shy.  After the broom relay, Lotte discovered many classmates knew her as 'Glasses Girl', yet this didn’t bothered her until she heard Hannah and Barbara call her invisible. Maybe because all her years of being a background character had finally become too much.  That was the first time she questioned whether she was playing a background character in her own story as well.

But she was realizing now that she didn't need a lot of attention, at least not to the extent Akko did.  Sure it was a nice change having girls notice her as she walked down the hall, but she knew that would get tiring after a while.  Lotte was incredibly happy to have a few close friends that noticed her and cared about her.

Take Akko for example, the girl wouldn't rest until she figure out a way to prove Hannah and Barbara wrong.  Akko always noticed her. Even Sucy showed how much she cared in her own way.  She was protective, ready to fight Hannah and Barbara the moment they called her invisible.  Even now Sucy was ready to take on everybody in the library.

"I'm okay."  Sucy scowled, but Lotte smiled and gently rested a hand on Sucy's tense arm.  "Really, I'm okay."

Lotte took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for a long speech.  Talking in front of people had never been her favorite thing to do.  "I was upset when you guys called me invisible, that's why Akko and Sucy dressed me up like this. They wanted to help me prove to you guys that I'm not.  But this whole thing just made me realize that I don't need to prove myself to anybody. I don't need to be the center of attention every time I walk down the halls or whenever I'm in class."  Lotte laughed, reaching one of her hands up to feel the dried gel in her hair. "In fact, I don't want to be the center of attention. I would be much happier giving that honor to someone else."  Lotte glanced pointedly at Akko and the girl sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck.  "I started to make this realization when Annabel Crème asked me to be the new _Night Fall_ author, I just didn't put all the pieces together until now."

Throughout her speech, Hannah and Barbara had collapsed into their seats, eyes downcast.  Sucy seemed more relaxed and a small smile played at the corner of her mouth.   Akko's eyes glistened with unshed tears, her hands clasped in front of her chest.  She was smiling at Lotte as if her own child had just spoken their first words and the words happened to be "Shiny Chariot."  A small sniffle broke the silence.

"We're so sorry Lotte!"

"We never should have said that!"

 Hannah and Barbara fell to their knees in front of her and Lotte stepped back uncomfortably as the two girls continued to cry and apologize.  Lotte looked at Diana for help, but the blonde witch just smiled apologetically in a 'not my problem' kind of way. Diana did, however, rise from her seat and clear her throat.

"I apologize if I made you feel that way as well Miss Y-" Diana paused, "Lotte."  

Lotte felt a surge of warmth at Diana’s lack of formality, and apparently Akko did too. Akko beamed with joy, running around the table to gather an embarrassed Diana into a hug, or a tackle depending on how you looked at it. Lotte would have appreciated the cute moment between her ship a lot more if Hannah and Barbara weren't still crying on the floor.  

"Really you guys, it's okay. I'm not mad and I forgive you."

After a few more painful minutes of tears and groveling, the sniffles finally wore out.  Lotte reached out her hands and helped pull them back to their feet.  She couldn't help a sigh of relief.  Akko had her arms wrapped tightly around Diana's arm and the blonde witch had a slightly pained look on her face, more from struggling to keep her breathing even than anything else.  Lotte knew Diana enjoyed having Akko's attention, even if the poor girl had no idea how to handle it.  Sucy hovered by Lotte's shoulder, a smug look on her face.  She figured Sucy took quite a bit of pleasure in watching them fall all over themselves to apologize.

"You're a pretty cool girl Lotte," Hannah said as she tried to wipe streaks of mascara off her cheeks.  Barbara nodded, doing the same.  

"It’s good you notice that now," Sucy said, staring daggers at them.  Hannah gulped, shooting a panicked look at Diana, Barbara did the same.  Diana merely shrugged, once again giving off that ‘its not my problem' vibe, which proved to be an awkward movement with Akko hanging from her arm.  Lotte briefly wondered if Hannah and Barbara felt somewhat jealous that their position of panic had been taken away from them.  They seemed relatively unperturbed with how taken Diana and Akko were with each other.  It was definitely a lot more pleasant having the two girls act civilly towards Akko. 

"We should probably get cleaned up, and you do look really badass with your makeup like that,” Hannah said.  Lotte smiled, blushing at the compliment.  She felt somewhat relieved her shy and timid nature was back.

"Wait, was it all true?" Barbara asked, staring at Lotte with an expression of complete awe.  Lotte furrowed her brow, confused with her question.  "Did Annabel Crème choose you to be the next author? Are there more than one author? Are you the author? What was she like? I want to know everything."

Both Hannah and Diana let out exasperated sighs, looking up at the ceiling as if to plead with some god. 

Lotte's jaw dropped.  "Are you a _Night Fall_ fan too?"  

If Hannah and Diana's eyes could roll back any further they would.

Barbara squealed as she stepped forward and locked hands with Lotte.  "We need to talk about everything! You need to tell me everything! This is so exciting, Hannah and Diana refuse to read it!"

Lotte nodded enthusiastically.  "Akko and Sucy won't read it either!"

"I refuse to subject myself to that garbage," Sucy mumbled.

Akko threw her arms into the air. "It's 365 books long! How would I ever finish that? If the series is made into movies I'll watch that though."

Both Barbara and Lotte gasped, staring at Akko in horror. 

"Barbara," Hannah whined.  "I'm glad you have a new friend to discuss your books with but I like really want to wash my face."

Barbara's face dropped as she nodded her head.

"I'm not going anywhere so we can talk about _Night Fall_ whenever!" Lotte said, buzzing with excitement.  Barbara's face lit up and she squealed again, hugging Lotte before following Hannah out of the room. _I guess this plan of Akko’s did fall in the twenty-two percentile._

Akko yawned loudly, stretching her arms above her head and not so smoothly trying to rest her arm around Diana's shoulders.  Diana raised an eyebrow at Akko, clearly unimpressed.  "Diana and I should go...study."  Akko's eyes were dazed as she lost herself in whatever daydream was playing out in her head.  Diana perked up at the word 'study.'

"That is an excellent idea Akko.  We have a fair amount of material to catch on.  Unlocking the Seven Words of Arcturus and releasing the world’s reconstruction magic put you far behind the rest of our class."

Akko pouted, but pulled Diana towards the door anyway.  Lotte giggled as she listened to their fading conversation.

"We shouldn't have homework, we saved the world."

"Yes, but the more study sessions we have, the more you will learn. You are improving immensely."

"Eh? Come on we aren't going to actually study!"

"You said we needed to study.  What else would we do?"

Lotte sighed happily. Her little group was growing.  First it was just Akko and Sucy, then Amanda, Constanze, and Jasminka. Even Diana was beginning to make regular appearances in their close knit group.  She figured Barbara was bound to tag along with Diana so she could discuss _Night Fall_.  It was common knowledge that all fangirls were connected by a web of feels and theories.  They had headcanons and fanfiction and ships to discuss.  And where Barbara went, Hannah was sure to follow.  Yes, her little group was growing quite a bit.  

Lotte didn't need everybody in the whole world to know her name, she didn't even need everybody at Luna Nova to know her name.  As long as she had her group of friends that loved her, she was unbelievable happy.  She was a simple girl after all.  A hopeless romantic with her nose stuck in a book, shy in class but dedicated to her work.  She was content to talk with faeries and be the timid yet levelheaded voice of reason on Akko's spontaneous adventures.

Lotte's heart fluttered with joy and she realized her cheeks were kinda sore from smiling so hard.  She couldn't really help it though, she just felt so happy.

"There is a mushroom who's spores cause an excess release of dopamine and serotonin, it sort of acts like an addictive laughing gas.  The affect is similar to the look on your face right now."

Oh yeah, Sucy was still here.  

"Sorry I'm just happy."  Lotte said, shuffling her feet. Standing alone with Sucy in the middle of the library was making her more anxious than usual, despite them having been alone countless times before.   _Yeah, but before you had never tried to get her attention by swinging your hips.  Oh fudge_ , Lotte cursed at the voice in her head, even though she knew it was true.  Her face burned at the memory, but it also made her excited.  Sucy was gorgeous.  She could be a little harsh and aloof, but Lotte had been around her long enough to decipher all the little ways Sucy showed she cared.  She may tease Akko but she always helped her when she needed it.  Helping with Akko's punishments, providing support at the Samhain Festival.  There was even the little things Sucy did for Akko, but would always deny them if Akko was to ever find out.  Like pulling the blankets over the girl when she fell asleep. Lotte wondered if Sucy also did little things for her as well.  She would guess yes.  She often woke up, after falling asleep reading, with her book marked and closed by her pillow and her glasses resting on top.

Lotte unrolled her sleeves and rubbed at her eyes, smearing the makeup as she began to clean it off.  She could feel that her hair was already sagging.  Sucy was her friend and obviously cared for her.  Lotte found herself longing to know whether Sucy had any  _romantic_  interest in her.  She needed to know. If Sucy didn't have romantic feelings for her Lotte figured she could move on and be content that she had such a good friend.  But if, by some miracle, Sucy did have feelings for her, well she would cross that bridge when she came to it.

"Even if I did look as hot you said I was," Lotte noted that Sucy seemed to swallow hard at this, "I think I prefer my normal hair and style."

"I think that's a good thing."

Lotte paused mid-wipe, looking curiously at Sucy.  "Why's that?"

Sucy shrugged.  "You were too powerful.  Your walk was more confident and you exuded power with each step.  I think I saw you wink at a girl. I don't think the world could handle you."

Lotte blushed, smiling shyly at Sucy. Sucy just shrugged, her arms tucked tightly against her sides. The two girls walked side by side back to their room.  The hallways were a blur, blurry faces, blurry doors.  It was kinda making her head hurt.  She was pretty sure rubbing at the makeup was making it worse, so she paused, pulling her glasses out of her pocket and slipping them back on her face.  Everything seemed so much clearer after that and she took a moment to think about Sucy, the way her eyes seemed glued to Lotte and how the reserved witch had lost her composure.  Lotte had even picked up on a hint of jealously in Sucy's voice when she mentioned Lotte winking at a girl.  Sucy certainly wasn’t acting like someone whose feelings were one hundred percent platonic.

"Do you really think I seemed that powerful?"

Sucy stopped walking, and Lotte gulped.  The taller witch towered over Lotte, giving her the look that made Lotte feel like Sucy was taking a casual glance into her soul.  

"You're always powerful. With and without makeup and a punk rock hairstyle.  You're smart, amazing with faeries, and a loving friend.  Being shy and quiet doesn't change that. You don't have to answer every question in class or make a point to declare every intention of yours, like two obnoxious people we know."

Lotte giggled and her heart soared. She wasn’t one for rash actions, but she stepped forward anyways and wrapped her arms around Sucy's waist.  Sucy grunted in surprise and Lotte could feel the other witch tense up.  

"I know I don't normally hug people, but I decided to use some of my newfound confidence,"  Lotte said, her voice slightly muffled by Sucy's chest.  She could hear Sucy’s heart beating rapidly and the sound was music in her ears.  She could hardly contain herself from bursting with joy when Sucy's arms clumsily wrapped around Lotte, returning the hug.  Lotte didn't really expect Sucy to hug her back, especially since she hugged Sucy in the middle of a crowded hallway, but this was good.  Even better, it was great.  With a sigh, Lotte relaxed into her arms.  

"It's uh, a nice use of confidence."  Lotte hummed as she felt the words vibrate in Sucy's chest as she spoke.  Suddenly she felt Sucy shift an arm and awkwardly thump against her back.

Lotte pulled back so she could glance up at Sucy.  "Did you just pat my back?"

Sucy's cheeks turned an uncharacteristic shade of pink, her eyes darted away as she became very interested in the window down the hall.  "You have raccoon eyes right now with the makeup smeared like that."

Lotte smiled, dropping her arms from around Sucy's waist.  "It's okay I won't tell Akko."

Sucy grumbled in response, brushing past Lotte to walk back to their room.  Lotte laughed, jogging slightly to keep up with Sucy's quick pace.  "You're really cute, you know that?  And it was a really nice hug, the pat was really cute." 

Sucy didn't respond, but her cheeks grew even redder. Lotte decided she liked teasing Sucy, a blushing Sucy was a beautiful sight to behold.

“I like you, Sucy.”

Sucy paused, her hand resting on the knob of their door. This almost felt like a chess match, Sucy’s heart was the king and Lotte was strategically using everything she had to get to it. She knew Sucy was heavily guarded. The witch had built up many defenses, countless ways to keep herself separate from everyone else. Her wit and sarcasm, her cold looks and harsh remarks were all just pawns on the chess board. Lotte could easily take them out, one by one drawing out bits and pieces of Sucy, getting to know the queen, knights, and rooks that protected her. Lotte’s white knight had evaded every attack, an effort that left her wide open to a counterattack, but despite being stuck out in the open, Lotte felt perfectly calm. She knew the king was hers. _Check_ , Lotte thought.

Sucy turned around slowly. Her sharp canine worrying at her bottom lip and her brow furrowed. Lotte could tell Sucy was nervous, puzzled, and maybe even a bit curious, but she was trying to hide it. Sucy remained silent and stone still as Lotte stepped forward, rocking up to her toes to press a kiss to Sucy’s flushed cheek. Her lips lingered against her soft skin and she marveled at the way Sucy’s eyes fluttered at the contact.

“Lotte,” Sucy’s voice came out a breathless whisper and Lotte could feel soft pants of air brushing across her face. Lotte dropped back to her heels. She had rings of black makeup around her eyes and limp hair, but Sucy was staring at her like she was the only girl in the world.

“Checkmate."

**Author's Note:**

> no Lottes were harmed in the making of this fic, just my heart because these precious gays are too pure
> 
> Below is a link to some super awesome fanart oceankasko posted to go along with my fic!!
> 
> https://justhotleafjuice.tumblr.com/post/163419478898/oceankasko-art-for-genderless-scientist-s-fic


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